


Songbird: An AU of Big Bones

by Brishton



Series: Big Bones [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Big Bones, Brace yourself, Comfort, Feels, Friendship, Hurt, Jerk Sans AU, Sans is a giant jerk, Slavery, he softens up eventually though, he's super mean, there's a lot of feels, what a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6980788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brishton/pseuds/Brishton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if in their original encounter, Sans hadn't let Ashley go? What if he decided to keep her for his own selfish amusement?</p><p>Based upon the rp between myself and the ever talented rocko-newjeans, I present to you...the Jerk Sans AU.</p><p>((NOTE: This story is based upon the fanfic "Big Bones", and it is highly recommended you read it before reading this story))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prisoner

“...So! Um, I guess...I guess I’ll just...head on home now! Heh….right?”

 

Sans grinned down at Ashley. "Head on home?...Nah.” Without warning, he reached out to grab her.

 

Ashley’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, caught off guard. What? But they had a deal! This couldn’t be happening! Unfortunately, she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground, landing on her back. Heart pounding, she looked up at him in terror, a whimper of fear escaping her.

 

Sans grabbed her in a fist, leaving only her head and arms free, and lifted her up closer to his face. “Y'know, I was never good at keeping promises, kid. Plus, I never had someone who could make me laugh. It'd be a waste to let someone like you go,” he confessed with a menacing grin.

 

Ashley’s breathing intensified, his words sinking in. He wasn’t going to let her go. He really wasn’t going to let her go. She struggled  in vain to pry herself loose, but it was simply no use. No matter what she did, she was his captive, plain and simple. Ashley grew hysterical, fresh tears coming forth. “Please PLEASE! PLEASE let me go! Just please!"

 

Sans smirked down at her. God, she really was pathetic. It was her own damn fault that she was in this mess. “Should've never come into my forest, kid.”

 

Sans looked around, deep in thought. “Now...where to keep you?” After a moment, he settled for digging a hole, taking care to make sure it was deep enough that Ashley couldn’t climb out. “Guess this'll have to do for now.” Looking her over, Sans shrugged and dropped her in.

 

With a yelp, Ashley fell to her hands and knees, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. She looked up at him, tears trickling down her cheeks, her mouth unable to produce any words. This couldn’t be happening. This had to be some sort of sick, twisted nightmare. It just had to be.

 

Sans settled down onto his stomach and peered down at her, a tad annoyed. What was her problem? “C'mon don't be like that. Tears aren't really funny, y'know."

 

Ashley glared at him. “Maybe that's because this ISN'T a funny situation."

 

Sans rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, lighten up. Besides, once I get you a new home, this situation will get a _hole_ lot better, heh."

 

"I already HAVE a new home, and I WANT to get back to it."

 

Sans’ grin spread. This was just too amusing. "Oh really? Good luck getting back to it from there.” He rested his skull in his hand, enjoying the moment. “Maybe if you tell me another joke, I'll bring you along to find that new home for ya."

 

She may have been helpless, but she didn’t have to give him what he wanted. Ashley sat up and turned away from him, crossing her arms with a defiant huff.

 

Sans shrugged, unfazed. “Suit yourself, kid.” Hauling himself up, he walked off to find a confinement for his new slave.

 

After a moment’s hesitation, Ashley turned around to glance up at the spot where Sans had been watching her. Seeing that he had disappeared, she drew her knees close to her chest and hugged herself. Oh blueberries, what had she gotten herself into this time? Leaning against the dirt wall, she did the only thing she could do: wait for Sans to get back.

 

Sans wandered through the woods, pondering his current predicament. He now had his very own personal slave, but that meant he had a few things to sort out. For starters, where would he keep her? “Probably could stack a bunch of trees together...nah, that's too much work,” he mumbled absentmindedly to himself.

 

His mind continued to mull over the conundrum until out of the corner of his eye, he happened to spot the old abandoned manor out on the edge of the woods. “Huh, forgot that was there.” Was it still empty? He could always easily remove any humans currently inhabiting the home, but that would just be too much of an effort. Plus, that ran the risk of someone running off and revealing his existence to the rest of humanity, and that was a scenario he definitely wanted to try and avoid.

 

Approaching the house, Sans inspected it, peeking into all the tiny windows. While there was one of those human cars parked out front, the house itself seemed just as empty as he had remembered it. Well, it would seem he’d found his answer. Feeling proud of himself, Sans turned around and began to head back to the clearing.

 

Ashley had moved from her sitting position to lying on the cool dirt, curled up into a fetal ball. “...stupid. You're so stupid. Nobody's gonna miss you because you're lonely and stupid. You don't have anyone you stupid idiot and you won't ever have anyone because you're a stupid idiot and you-.” She stopped her quiet self-beratement when the ground around her began shaking, growing steadily more and more violent. Oh God, he was back. Unwillingly, she raised her head slightly, waiting for that awful grinning skull to reappear once more.

 

Sans approached the edge of the hole, hands in his pockets, and peered down at the tiny form inside. She wasn’t nearly as funny right now as she had been earlier. Hopefully a change of scenery could fix that. “Found a place for ya. I think you’re gonna like it.” Without waiting for a response, he reached down and grabbed her before turning around once more, ambling back to the old manor.

 

Ashley’s heart began beating at an uncomfortable rate. All of her functions went offline, the forest flying by beneath her. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but the thought of him dropping her was enough to make her want to vomit. Fortunately, she didn’t even have anything in her stomach at the moment, so that wasn’t something she had to worry about.

 

After a bit of walking, Sans finally arrived at the manor. He held Ashley up, displaying his find for her to see. “Ain’t it nice? Don’t think anyone has lived here for a while now.” He took note of the large number of windows. That was something he’d have to fix, but it shouldn’t be too hard. “What do you think, kid?”

 

All Ashley could do was blink in surprise, her mouth agape. Okay, this really was not happening. Unsteadily, she  raised a hand to point at the home. “Th-th...Th-that's my house!"

 

Sans’ brow bones shot up. “Really now? That’s pretty convenient. Should’ve told me this was your home, it would’ve made my life a whole lot easier.” He shrugged. “Anyways, hope you don’t mind some renovations. I can’t have you leaving whenever you want, you know.”

 

Ashley looked back at him, fear crawling up her back. "Wh-Wha...what are you going to do with me?"

 

“Just gonna keep you here for entertainment. Wasn’t really planning on hurting you or anything like that…” Sans brought her closer to her face, a wicked grin on his face. “...Unless you decide to pull any tricks with me.”

 

Ashley gulped, her eyes wide.

 

Sans closed his eyes with a casual shrug. “Well, I gotta get to work.” Not bothering to be careful, he shoved Ashley into one of his jacket pockets before beginning to renovate the manor. One by one, he uprooted several trees, dirt flying as the roots were pulled out of their earthen home. Depending on the size, he broke down each of the trunks, sometimes into halves, other times into thirds or even fourths. From there, he shoved a hunk of wood into every window, taking care not to miss any.

 

Ashley yelped as she was abruptly thrust into the pocket, her head spinning. She shoved her arms out on either side of her and clutched onto the fabric for dear life, desperate to try and keep herself steady rather than tumbling around. Outside of the blue prison, she could hear what sounded like trees being ripped to shreds. Her heart somehow began to pound even faster, unable to help but imagine herself being snapped in two like a toothpick.

 

“…And there. All done.” Sans studied his handiwork. She certainly wouldn’t be able to get out of this house any time soon, that was for sure. Lazily, he shoved a hand into his pocket and grabbed Ashley, dropping her down onto the front porch. “You can go in now.”

 

Ashley stumbled and fell, grazing her hands a bit on the porch. Biting her lip hard, she shakily rose to her feet and opened the door, closing it behind her. The sight she was greeted with caused her to gasp in horror, her hands flying to her face. The beautiful home she had just been in only hours prior was now a disaster zone. It was completely dark, for all of the windows now had trees shoved into them, preventing any bit of sunlight from entering. Glass and chunks of wood littered the floor, creating a complete walking hazard. The sight made her want to cry. This beautiful home, the one thing she could call her own, had been thoroughly damaged in a matter of minutes, and there was nothing she could do.

 

Sans placed another tree in front of the front door with a smile of satisfaction. “That’ll do.” Pulling out one of the trees, he peeked inside to spot Ashley standing in shock. It would seem his renovations had left her speechless. “Well, kid, I’m gonna go take a nap. I’ll see ya later.” Not waiting for a response, he replaced the log and settled down nearby, closing his eyes for a hard-earned nap.

 

Ashley gaped at the tree-plugged window and narrows her eyes. She clenched her fists, fury boiling within her at his complete lack of care. “You can't just leave me in here!” she shouted out to him. “This isn't right!...S-somebody will come looking for me!"

 

Hearing her shouts of defiance, Sans opened an eye and faced the house. “If anyone does come looking for you, pipsqueak, I’ll just stick ‘em in the house with you. Heh, maybe you can do a comedy act with them!” With a grin of amusement, he closed his eye once more and promptly fell asleep.

  
Ashley felt her heart sink, all of the fight that had been in her a moment before crushed into a pulp. Defeated, she looked around at her new prison. What a depressing thought. Her new house was now a cage, and she was but a tiny bird trapped inside, unable to spread her wings and escape her fate. “Cranberries…”

 

This was really it. It wasn’t a dream. Her freedom was gone. She bit her lip and slowly walked over to the couch, collapsing onto it. Grabbing one of the numerous throw pillows, she hugged it close to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. Feeling more alone and helpless than she’d felt in her entire life, she quietly cried, no one around to hear or comfort her, and drifted off to sleep.

 

 


	2. The Fire Dies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song sung in this chapter:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tox_UDjLRCc

The world had grown dark with night when Sans awoke. Groggily, he moved over to the house and pulled out the same tree as before, looking around for his new tiny human. After a moment, he spotted her fast asleep on a nearby couch. That was good; she probably wouldn’t be much use to him if she were sleep-deprived.

 

Looking down, Sans noticed the absurd amount of shattered glass and wood chunks that covered the floor. Damn, he really made a mess. Glancing at Ashley, he let out a sigh. It would probably be in his best interest to clean up a bit; the last thing he wanted was for her to slice her foot open because of his carelessness. Humans were fragile, after all. His left eye turning blue, he gathered up as much of the debris as he could see and brought it outside, setting it down into a pile beneath the window. There, that should do.

 

His eye flickered back up to Ashley. Alright, she’d slept long enough. “Hey, kid, wake up.”

 

At the sound of a voice, Ashley rubbed her eyes, slowly blinking herself awake. Ugh. That hadn’t been the greatest nap ever. Sleepily, she turned her head in the direction of the voice only to freeze. Her eyes grew wide, all traces of sleep gone, as she took in the giant white orb focused squarely on her. With a shriek, she sat bolt upright, scooting back as far as she possibly could on the couch. Her arms hugged the pillow in a death grip and she shrunk her form, desperately trying to make herself as tiny as possible and avoid being seen.

 

Sans snorted. Now this was just pathetic. “Hiding behind that tiny pillow won’t do much for ya, kid. I can still see you,” he informed her. “Anyways, you got everything you need in there? I don’t want my little entertainer dying on me or whatever.”  

 

All of the memories from earlier came flooding back to Ashley. No. No no no, it couldn’t be. It wasn’t all just an awful dream. It was real. This was her reality now. Fighting the urge to scream and cry, she swallowed hard and nodded. “Y-yeah, I th-think so. I only have enough food f-for about a week though." That was a generous estimate: college had taught Ashley how to live rather conservatively. In all actuality, she probably only had enough for three or four days, but she knew how to make things last. Something told her those skills would be put to good use, whether she liked it or not.

 

“A week, huh? That gives me some more time to think of how to get food for you. What do you humans usually eat?”

 

Ashley slightly lowered the pillow, resting her chin on the top of it. “Meats and fruits and vegetables and grains and stuff, really."

 

Sans rolled his eyes. “And stuff. Real descriptive.”

 

He paused, looking her over. “Been meaning to ask ya, kid: you got more than just jokes up your sleeve?” While her joke had been funny, he had a feeling he’d soon tire of hearing them. Either that, or Ashley would run out of jokes to tell, at which point she’d just become useless to him.

 

Ashley bit her lip. How honest should she be? Did she want to seem desirable to him? Something told her that it would be a good idea to not come across as useless. Who knew what he’d do to her then? “I...I'm a performer. I act, sing, d-dance, all of that stuff."

 

“Singing and dancing, huh? Sing me something then, performer girl.” He gave her a menacing glare. “Or else.”

 

Ashley flinched backwards, squeezing the pillow tightly. Oh God! Think fast, think fast! Gulping, her mind raced through her musical library, desperately searching for something. What it selected gave her a stroke of surprise, but nothing else felt more appropriate. Her eyes lingered on his for a moment, quietly debating whether or not to sing the song. Would he be offended by her choice? Well, it wasn’t like she had much else to lose. Taking a deep breath, she set the pillow down on her lap and began to sing "Green Finch and Linnet Bird", her eyes cast downward.

 

Sans listened to Ashley sing, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. He hadn’t expected her voice to sound that nice; it was honestly beautiful. It was light and clear, like the sound of bells ringing. It had been a while since he had last heard music, but he didn’t remember it sounding this lovely. He sure did get lucky with this human. “You really are a songbird, huh?” he murmured once she’d finished, slightly in a state of awe. “Glad you can sing or else I might’ve gotten bored with you sooner, heh.”

 

After a moment of pause, Sans gave a satisfied nod. “You can go back to sleep; that’s all I wanted for now.”

 

Ashley looked up at him in shock. He honestly couldn’t be serious. "Is...is that it? You're just gonna pop in every once in awhile, make me amuse you, and then go away, shutting me back up in here?"

 

“Yeah. You got a problem with that?” Sans questioned, raising a brow bone.

 

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Ashley narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

 

“And what are you gonna do about it, small fry?” he sneered.

 

In a burst of frustration, Ashley grabbed the pillow and hurled it at the giant eye, anger boiling hot within her.

 

Sans flinched backwards in surprise, just barely dodging the fluffy projectile, before glaring at Ashley. It would seem someone was in serious need of some discipline. “Shouldn’t have done that, kid.” His left eye flickered blue, and in a flash, he had dragged her out through the window. He let her dangle a good fifteen feet above his head, smirking at how helpless she was. “You feeling all high and mighty now, pipsqueak?”

  
Ashley looked down with massive eyes, her heart hammering out of her chest. She let out a whine of terror, squeezing her eyes shut. Oh God, she shouldn’t have done that! She really shouldn’t have done that!

 

Still, despite her terror, she found that her rage was still alive and burning. This skeleton was trying to take her life from her, and she refused to give it over to him without a fight. Her eyes flew open as she glared down at him, two green trees set aflame by the fires of anger. “I am NOT your plaything and I REFUSE to be treated as such!!!"

 

 

Just like that, the fire within her was extinguished. Ashley let out a scream of pure, primal terror. She frantically began flailing her limbs, desperate to try and get away, but it was no use. Slowly, his monstrous, razor-sharp teeth grew ever closer, the dark abyss within calling her name, pulling her downward, and she screamed, completely in hysterics. “NOO!! NO NO NO NO NO!!! PLEASE NO!! OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!”

 

Sans brought her to a halt right in front of his mouth and smirked. “Yeah. That's what I thought.” Grabbing her in a fist, he brought her to where she was practically touching his skull. “Let that be a warning for you, pipsqueak.” Shoving her back inside the house, he stuffed the window with the tree once more before laying down and going back to sleep.

 

Ashley rolled across the floor with a cry of pain as she was thrust back indoors. Behind her, she could hear the sound of the window being resealed, cutting her off from the outside world. She laid there, every muscle in her body spasming uncontrollably with terror, gasping for breath. Curling up into a tight ball, she clenched her eyes shut, whimpering quietly. For the rest of the night, she stayed there like that, too afraid to cry or even move any longer.

 

With one simple threat, Sans had snuffed out the fight in her.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by rocko-newjeans


	3. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs sung in this chapter:
> 
> (Somewhere Over The Rainbow)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZxmZmBfnU
> 
> (Will The Circle Be Unbroken)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e4Crth_Hb8

 

 

It was mid-morning when Sans next visited the house. Approaching the front, he removed the tree that barred the front door. “Hey, pipsqueak. Come out here. Door's open for ya."

 

With a start, Ashley awoke. For a moment, she simply lay frozen on the ground, the events of yesterday rushing back to her. Her eyes stared at the door, dreading what she’d find on the other side. She didn’t want to go out. She wanted to hide somewhere and never emerge from the house again. The thought of seeing that awful skull of his again made her sick to her stomach, which was noticeably empty. However, if she didn’t go out, she would likely end up inside said skeleton’s stomach, and that was a fate she wanted to avoid at all costs.

 

Ever so slowly, Ashley rose to her feet, wincing and hissing with pain at even the slightest of movements. She had to stand in place for a moment and collect her bearings; her vision was swimming, and she felt like she might pass out at any given moment. Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly opened the front door with an unsteady hand and stepped out onto the porch.

 

"Huh, didn't think you'd come out on your own. I guessed you learned your lesson last night, heh,” Sans remarked as she came into view. It was amazing how persuasive he could be with a simple display of the bone gullet. He leaned down closer to her with a broad grin. “So how you feeling?"

 

Ashley flinched backwards, her eyes unable to focus on anything but the massive teeth before her. She trembled. “Sore. Hungry. Depressed."

 

"Hungry? Go back inside and get yourself some food, kid.” Sans nudged her towards the door with his finger. “Probably can't entertain me as well if you're on an empty stomach."

 

Oh thank God. With a nod, Ashley turned to go back inside, but paused. Hesitantly, she looked back up at him, biting her lip. “...Did you...did you want anything to eat?"

 

Sans looked down at her in surprise. “Uh...no, I'm good. I'm a skeleton. I don't really have the stomach for food."

 

Ashley nodded. “Right, right. Okay.” Hastily, she disappeared back inside, quickly shutting the door behind her.

 

His eyes narrowed in confusion, Sans laid down on his back. Well that had been unexpected to say the least. He looked back over at the front door, the previous moment playing on loop in his mind. “What's her deal? Thinking that offering me food'll make me set her free or something..."

 

Ashley fell back against the door as soon as it was closed, relieved beyond belief to be away from him once more. She wasn’t truly safe, but the inability to view the outside world gave her the illusion of safety, and she clung to it.

 

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Ashley walked into the kitchen. “Didn't think my first meal in my new house was gonna feel this awful,” she murmured quietly to herself. She sighed.

 

Now, what to have? Biting her lip, her eyes panned over to the nearest tree-plugged window. “He probably won't want to wait long...I'll just make some eggs.” As if on cue, her stomach growled angrily, insisting upon her making a more substantial breakfast. With a frown, Ashley looked down at her rumbling belly, sadly rubbing it. “Yeah, I know you want more, but later, okay? Just hang in there.” Without enthusiasm, she began to make her first breakfast as a prisoner.

 

It didn’t take long for Sans to grow bored of waiting. Human food always took forever to make. Why couldn’t they just use magic? Listening carefully, he moved around the house, trying to find the kitchen window. It took a minute, but once he located the right one, he pulled out the tree stuffed into it and peered inside, spotting Ashley immediately. “Whatcha making there, kid?"

 

Ashley jumped in alarm, letting out a squeak. She nearly flung her breakfast out of the pan, but to her immense relief, it stayed in place. Trembling, she resumed her cooking, glancing over at him fearfully. “E-eggs."

 

Sans frowned. "...Is that all you're gonna eat? Just eggs? Don't you, uh, humans have other stuff to eat with that?"

 

Ashley winced. “I-I didn't want to make you wait.” She looked down. “Figured you wouldn't appreciate that..."

 

Sans rolled his eyes. “The longer I wait just means the better your performance ought to be once you're done eating. If you gotta eat more, then eat more."

 

Biting her lip, Ashley nodded, carefully plating the now finished eggs.

 

With a huff, Sans backed away from the window and laid on his side, resting his head in his hand.

 

Without a word, Ashley put a couple pieces of bread into the toaster. She moved to the fridge and grimaced at her limited offerings; she had originally planned to go to the grocery store today and stock up, but it would seem those plans would have to be placed on hold, possibly indefinitely. Sighing, she pulled out the half-gallon of milk and poured herself a healthy glass, putting it back once finished. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to grab a banana as well. Walking back over to the toaster, she pulled out the two now golden slices of bread and added them to her plate. “Wish I had some more butter to put on these...oh well..” With one final glance at the kitchen window, Ashley made her way out into the dining room, plate and cup in hand, and sat down at the large table, gratefully digging in.

 

Since he really had nothing else to do, Sans simply pondered what he’d make Ashley do once she had finished her meal. Maybe he’d make her tell another joke; a good laugh definitely sounded nice. She’d said something about dancing, but that just sounded like it would put him to sleep, and he already got enough sleep as is. Still, maybe she’d surprise him. He wouldn’t know what she could do unless he asked. Her singing was really nice, he could honestly listen to it all day. However, something told him that Ashley wouldn’t have the energy to do that. Plus, making her sing too much might break her or something, and he didn’t want that. He silently drummed his fingers against his chin, weighing his options.

 

Ashley stared down at the last piece of egg with hollow eyes, dread replacing every other feeling. “I guess this is it…” With a great deal of reluctance, she ate the final piece, rising to her feet and grabbing her dishes. Her heart filled with lead, she made her way back into the kitchen, gently setting her dishes in the sink; there was no point in delaying the inevitable by washing them.

 

Feeling cold and empty despite the warm meal, Ashley dragged her feet over to the front door and placed her hand on the knob. She closed her eyes, bracing herself. “This is a performance. As long as you entertain, you're safe. As long as you entertain, you get to live…” Taking a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and stepped outside.

 

Sans turned his head as Ashley walked out of the house. Took her long enough. That extra bit of food better make a difference. Wordlessly, he grabbed her in a fist and settled onto his back. He dropped her on top of his chest and rested the back of his head in his hands. “I couldn’t decide what to have you do, so I’m leaving it up to you. Just make sure it’s good.”

 

Ashley’s eyes widened, her mind a chaotic ocean. Holy peanuts, she was _standing_ on him. This was absolutely insane. It was mind-boggling! But now was not the time to focus on that. Now was the time to perform. Ashley blinked several times, trying her best to get her brain to function properly once more.

 

He was letting her decide what to do? Argh! That just made it harder! Still, nothing could be done about his indecisiveness; she’d have to deal with it and figure something out. So, what to do, what to do. Her heart wasn't in the right place for telling jokes; any attempt at comedy would sound pretty unconvincing and forced. The ground beneath her, if one could even call a skeleton’s chest “ground”, wasn’t the most stable of stages, so dancing was out as well; the last thing she wanted was to accidentally fall over and wind up ruining the performance. Call it a hunch, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t be too forgiving of any mess-ups on her part. With those two out two out of the way, it looked like singing was going to be her choice. After sighing and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

 

Satisfied by her choice, Sans silently listened to her sing, a content smile on his face. He really did like her voice, it was just so pretty. The song was also really nice as well, and it seemed to complement her voice perfectly. While he had his doubts about staying entertained by jokes, something told him he’d never find her singing to be dull. That said, he did hope she knew more songs; as lovely as these ballads were, he wouldn’t mind something upbeat and lively from time to time.  

 

With one final held out note, Ashley finished the song. God, she felt awful now. Perhaps singing her feelings out wasn’t the greatest of ideas. Still, the idea of trying to perform anything lighthearted made her stomach twist. This was the only way she could safely express how she felt, and she fully planned on doing so. Maybe he’d hear her sadness and take pity on her, though she honestly doubted it. He hadn’t shown any signs of kindness or compassion. How could she make him care about her? She didn’t know, and she could feel her hope of ever regaining her freedom growing smaller and smaller with each passing moment.

 

Was this really it? Was this how she’d live her life? A performing slave to a giant evil monster? If that was the case...she didn’t think she wanted to be around to live it. Looking down at the white fabric, Ashley waited for further orders.

 

“What was that song called?”

 

" 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. Judy Garland. _Wizard of Oz_."

 

"Huh, nice song. Got any others?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then keep singing for me, kid."

 

Ashley’s thoughts turned to her mother. Was she up there, watching her suffer right now? Was she sitting on a cloud somewhere watching as her child performed for her life? Oh God, how she wished she were here. She just wanted to feel the warmth of her mother’s embrace, her arms holding her close as she comforts her, tells her that everything would be alright.

 

But that would never happen. She was gone now. Now...now Ashley was alone. What she wouldn’t give though to have her mother there just one more time, just to tell her she loved her.

  
Ashley’s eyes turned upwards to the clear sky above. Maybe...maybe she didn’t have to wait that long for their reunion. Without even thinking, she began to sing “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”. As she sang, tears began to fill her eyes, and it took everything she had to hold them in and keep singing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she made it through the final repeat of the chorus. She took a shaky breath, on the edge of sobbing.

 

 

That was it? Ashley wasn’t about to complain; she was more than ready to leave the skeleton’s presence. Timidly, she approached the edge of his jacket and peered over the side. She made a face. That certainly was a long way down. Normally, she wouldn’t be too concerned, but given her body’s current condition, she had a feeling she’d wind up in a lot of pain if she tried getting down herself. Nervously, she glanced back over at him, sniffling. “Um...C-can you help me down, please?"

 

Sans raised a brow bone before sighing, rolling his eyes. "You humans sure are needy.” Grabbing Ashley by her shirt, he set her down on the ground beside him.

 

Ashley glanced up at him, grateful he’d at least been decent enough to help her down. “Thank you.” Not daring to waste any more time, she briskly walked back up to the house.

 

Sans waved a hand, his eyes closed. “You're welcome, kid."

 

Ashley firmly closed the door behind her and fell against it, her heart heavy. Slowly, her body slid lower and lower until she reached the ground, where she laid down, resting the side of her head on the floor. Tears quietly began to fall down her cheeks, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. She felt hollow, lifeless, and above all,  tired. She was too tired to scream, too tired to fight back, too tired to exist. In one short day, she'd been robbed of everything she'd ever had, and that hadn't been a whole lot to begin with. Her eyelids drooped. She just wanted to sleep forever; as long as she was asleep, she didn't have to face her nightmare of a reality.

 

What was the point? She’d never get free, she’d be a slave forever. All because, as usual, she’d done something incredibly stupid without even bothering to think about the circumstances. Who goes up and touches a giant skeleton in the woods? She had pretty much been asking for trouble. Well, she certainly had it now. And now, she didn’t really think she could handle it. Perhaps...perhaps it would be best to end things herself, before she was forced to endure any more suffering.

 

Her gaze was distant and unfocused, but her eyes noticed something that took a few moments for her brain to register. Wait a moment. Something was...different about the room, but what? Narrowing her eyes, Ashley looked around, thinking hard. At last, it clicked, and her eyes widened in shock. The glass from the broken windows, it was gone. She slowly sat up, staring at the place where the jagged shards had previously been. She certainly hadn't cleaned it up, so did that mean....

 

Sans? Ashley surprised herself by still remembering his name. Did he...did he clean it up? Why would he do that? The only reason she could imagine was that he hadn't wanted her to get hurt. She looked down at her lap, mind racing. Did that mean, if only just a little, Sans cared about her? Deep within her soul, a tiny flame rekindled itself.

  
Her gaze shifted to the tree-plugged window, the giant skeleton somewhere on the other side. If that was the case, then that meant he wasn't all bad. There was some good in him. It may be small and buried deep deep down, but it was there, somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, if she could find it, she could get herself out of this mess.

 

She'd see her mother again someday. But not today.

 

 


	4. A Bold Decision

Sans continued to lie down in front of the house, his brow furrowed. Although it had sounded pleasant enough, he found that he was rather unsatisfied with Ashley’s previous performance. She just seemed so...depressed. He would know, he was sort of an expert on the matter. That said, he was keeping her here to help get rid of his own sadness. He grimaced. Despite being terrified, she had managed to be bright and cheerful when she told him that first joke when they had met. What was different now? Why was it that all she could do was sing songs about wanting freedom? Maybe he broke her down too much? 

 

Sans looked over at the front door. Maybe there was something he could do to make her less depressing. But what? What did humans even do to cheer themselves up? Shoot, he barely even knew this human. 

 

Hmph. Well, maybe she’d know what to do. Figuring it was worth a shot, Sans went back up to the house. “Hey, kid. Where you at?” he called out, looking around the manor.

 

Ashley felt her body tense. She swallowed hard. "I'm in here," she called out, her voice a bit raspy, wincing at how sore her throat was

 

Sans tried to find the voice, but to no avail. “Kid, I’m gonna need you to speak up and be more specific. Where’s ‘here’?” he asked, a tad annoyed.

 

Ashley bit her lip and rose to her feet, dull stabs of pain shooting through her with each movement. She moved over to the living room window, and coughed in an attempt to clear her throat some. "I'm here," she called out once more, this time a bit louder. "In the living room."

 

Sans went up to the living room window and pulled the tree out. He peered through the window, relieved to have finally found Ashley. It was silly, but he found himself worrying that she’d disappear every time he took his eyes off of her. “So, uh…you said you were feeling a little depressed. Anything I can do about that?”

 

Well, it couldn't hurt to try the obvious. Or at least, she hoped it wouldn't. "Could you please let me go?" Ashley asked weakly.

 

Sans ran a hand over his skull, shaking his head and groaning in frustration. Of course she would ask to be set free, but he wasn’t planning on doing that anytime soon. He sighed before looking back into the window. “Look, kid. We both know I’m not letting you go. But since I’m feeling pretty generous today, let’s try and come up with a compromise. Give me something to work with here.”

 

Ashley sighed, her shoulders sagging. She had expected as much, but it still sucked to hear it said. "Well, could you maybe be a bit...nicer?" she tried, hopeful. That couldn't be too hard, right?

 

Sans looked at her in disgust. Wasn’t he already being nice enough? After all, he had let her stay in her own home and eat as much as she needed to. It wasn’t like he was torturing her or anything. How much kinder could he possibly be? He couldn’t believe that she was asking him to be…’nicer’. Clearly, she didn’t appreciate what she already had. It seemed like she needed to learn a thing or two about---No. Calm down. Even though he’d  _ really _ like to teach her a lesson about appreciation, that would only make things worse. His goal was to cheer her up, not scare her even more. He took a deep breath before speaking. “What do you mean by…’nicer’?” he asked, gritting his teeth.

 

Ashley flinched at the change in demeanor, gulping. Okay, maybe that HAD been too much to ask. "Um, maybe you could...uh…?" Something small, something small! "Beeeeee gentler?" she tried, shrinking a bit. "While you haven't broken anything, you could take more care when it comes to my body." She made sure to choose her words with care. "It's hard to perform well when you're battered and bruised from being mishandled, and I'm quite fragile. I appreciate and thank your consideration in regards to the broken glass on my floor, though. That was very kind and thoughtful of you." She took a shaky breath, praying she hadn't said anything wrong.

 

Sans took a moment to consider Ashley’s request. It wasn’t anything TOO difficult to accomplish. It would be in his best interests too; she wasn’t any good to him if she was broken. “Fine. I’ll be more careful with you.” He paused. “Also, about the glass, it was no big deal. I’m glad humans can be grateful for something.” With that, he plugged the window back with the log and went back to the front of the manor.

 

Ashley let out a massive sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. "Thank you God so much. I promise, if you see me through this, I'll start going to church again. Just thank you." She let out another sigh, opening her eyes. "Bit by bit, Ashley. Bit by bit. Start small, get the ball rolling, and the rest will come." She looked down at her clothes and made a face. Her sweater had been torn on the shoulder, leaving a great big gash in the fabric. Aw guacamole, she had really liked this shirt. "I should probably go get some fresh clothes on," she mumbled to herself, heading upstairs into her bedroom.

 

Sans sat outside, thinking over Ashley’s request. How could he be “gentler”? He hadn’t thought he was being that rough to begin with. Then again, humans were rather fragile as is; the fact that he was giant didn’t exactly help. Perhaps he could use his magic? It was too hard to pick up someone so small by hand anyways, and using magic was definitely a lot less work. 

 

Aha! This would do nicely! Ashley held the pale pink blouse up in front of her with a smile. Her situation may suck, but she didn't have to dress like it. Dress for success, she always liked to say. She paused and ran a hand through her hair. Or, at least she tried to, but that ended up proving to be quite difficult. Eyes narrowed, she walked into the master bathroom and made a face of disgust when she looked in the mirror. "Holy hot peppers, I'm a mess!" Ashley exclaimed, her eyes taking in her dirty, beaten appearance. She wrinkled her nose. "Okay, it's definitely shower time." At least that would feel good on her aching body. Wasting no time, she started the water, got undressed, and stepped into the tub, drawing the curtain closed behind her.

 

After a lot of thinking and frustration, Sans decided to go check up on Ashley. Talking with her was a lot more entertaining than just lying around and thinking. He’d been doing that for who knew how long, and quite frankly he was tired of it. Going back to the living room window, he pulled the tree out and looked around. However, she was nowhere to be found. Where could she have run off to?

 

"Nooooooo," Ashley moaned in despair as the hot water began to run out. “Not yet, please! Just a little bit longer!” Alas, her cries did nothing to reheat the water. "Aw bacon bits," she sighed, hanging her head. Defeated, she shut the shower off, shivering a bit now that her source of heat was gone. Grabbing her towel, she stepped out and began to dry herself.

 

San began to look through all the windows, pulling out the tree-stopper and searching for any sign of Ashley. "For a pipsqueak, she sure moves fast," he muttered. He paused, looking at all of the windows he still had yet to check. Definitely too much work. "Hey, pipsqueak. Whatcha up to in there?" he called out to her, too lazy to keep searching.

 

The sound of Sans' voice caught Ashley off-guard. For blissfully short while, she had forgotten her current situation. Sadly, it was time to re-enter the reality where she was a giant skeleton’s prisoner. 

 

Her eyes grew wide as she quickly turned to the small bundle of clothes sitting on the counter. Unfortunately, the tiled floor was slick from water and her turn had been too sharp. Before she could even react, Ashley found herself flying to the ground below. She let out a loud cry of pain as her head struck the floor, squeezing her eyes shut. 

 

Sans waited for a response, but one never came. He looked at the house in annoyance. Did she honestly think she could ask for him to be gentler and then keep him waiting? Eye sockets narrowed, he began his search anew before finally spotting her splayed out on the bathroom floor. He was about to scowl at her before realizing she was clutching her head in pain. Did she actually manage to hurt herself? Now this was a whole new level of pathetic. "Really, pipsqueak? Askin me to go and be gentler when you’re not even gentle to yourself?" he asked, dumbfounded by her incompetence.

 

Ashley's eyes flew open and she let out a yelp. Desperately, she grabbed her towel and covered as much of herself as she could, painfully aware of her clothes across the room just out of reach. Why did he have to come looking for her NOW??! She could feel every part of her brain shutting down, panic taking over. She began to hyperventilate, her knuckles turning white from clutching the towel so hard. "Um, yeah, I um, I slipped," she managed to gasp out, her whole body shaking like a leaf.

 

Slipped? Sheesh, weren’t performers supposed to be graceful? The last thing he needed her to do was break herself. Sans looked her over and noticed that she was shaking and...naked? He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Where are your clothes, pipsqueak?"

 

"O-o-over there, on t-the counter," she stuttered out, unable to look away from him.

 

Sans’ gaze shifted to the counter, spotting the small pile of neatly folded clothes. Eye turning blue, he used his magic to pick up the pile and plop it right in front of Ashley. "Should probably put those on then. Don't want you getting cold," he told her. Honestly, he really shouldn’t have to tell her this; humans were so sensitive to the temperature, she should know better than to go around without clothing on. "Could you come out when you're done in there? I don't want to have to go looking for you again."

 

Eyes wide with surprise and gratitude, Ashley reached out to the bundle of clothes with the hand that wasn't clutching her towel in a death grip. "Thank you very much." She stopped short, though, when she noticed her palm was red. Wincing, she realized her head must be bleeding. She'd have to patch that up. Biting her lip, Ashley looked back up at him and nodded. "I'll be out as quickly as I can. S...sorry for the inconvenience."

 

Sans moved away from the window, shaking his head. Damn, he was gonna have to take extra care of her if she was falling down and hurting herself from her own clumsiness. He sighed. This was a hell of a lot of trouble just to stay entertained.

 

Trembling, waiting a minute to make sure he was really gone, Ashley rubbed her sticky hand off on the towel as best she could, grabbing her clothes once most of the blood was off. She hastily stood and wrapped the towel around her, walking over to the sink to wash her hands of the remaining blood. For a moment, she merely let the cold water run over her skin, trying to gain full control of her senses once more. After a minute or so, her breathing was finally able to return to a steady pace, and she sighed with relief. The last thing she needed was to pass out. 

 

Carefully, Ashley got dressed and opened the cabinet underneath the sink, pulling out the first aid kit. As she tended to her wound, the last few minutes played on loop in her mind. She was safe, everything was okay. Nothing had happened. He hadn’t done anything to her. She honestly couldn't believe it. It didn’t even seem like he had thought about doing anything, despite how easy it would have been. After all, it wouldn't be the first time....Ashley shook her head and then winced, forgetting about her injury for a brief moment. That had happened a long time ago, and it was not at all relevant to the current situation. What WAS relevant was that Sans had shown her kindness, and in this bleak situation, that was all she could really cling on to. 

 

Finally, Ashley finished dressing the wound to the best of her abilities and put the first aid kit back where she had found it. Rising to her feet, she made her way downstairs and to the front door to go meet Sans.

 

Casually laying down with his hands supporting his head, Sans turned to look over at Ashley as she exited the house. “Hey there, kid. Come over here,” he called out, beckoning her with a finger.

 

Obediently, Ashley approached him despite all of her instincts screeching at her to bolt back inside. She stopped what she hoped to be a safe distance away and looked up at him. "Yes?"

 

"Remember how you said you wanted me to be 'gentler' with ya? Well, I wanted to try something out. You tell me if this is any good," Sans said, his eye turning blue. He slowly lifted Ashley with his magic a few feet into the air and waited for her response.

 

Ashley's stomach did a barrel roll as she once again found herself suspended in midair. Her eyes instantly locked onto Sans' massive mouth. Though it was closed now, she could still vividly recall the deadly abyss she had unwillingly confronted the evening before. She prayed she wouldn’t have to see it again. "Th-this is g-g-....good," she choked out.

 

Sans examined Ashley for a moment before shrugging off her strange answer. He lifted her up higher at the same slow and steady pace and softly set her down on his chest. “That ‘gentle’ enough for you?” he asked with a smirk, feeling rather proud at what he accomplished.

 

Ashley shuddered, grateful beyond belief to be on her feet once more. When she was airborne, she had no control over what happened to her. She was helpless to Sans’ every whim, and that thought terrified her. Still, to his credit, he had been much more careful with her, so she focused on that. This was a sign of progress. She put on a smile, meeting his gaze. "Yes, it was. Thank you very much, I appreciate it."

 

Sans shrugged. “So you hurt yourself, huh? Your tiny little human head doing alright?” he sneered, reaching out to touch Ashley’s head with his finger.

 

Ashley stumbled back away from the giant digit, arms raised defensively. She licked her lips, her heart beating fast. Well, so much for the "be gentle" thing. "It's...it's better. I got it bandaged up, so it should be good." At least, she hoped so. She was no doctor.

 

“’Bandaged up’?” Sans gently brushed Ashley’s arms aside so he could get a better look. His brow bones rose. Oh shit. She really did have it bandaged up. He was absolutely astonished that her little slip up had caused her to injure her head badly enough for her to bandage it. “Wow, kid. No wonder you want me to be careful. Looks like you’re already a danger to yourself,” he scoffed.

 

Ashley grimaced but said nothing. It wasn’t worth it.

 

“Don’t have anything to say to that?” he chuckled. “Fair enough. So what had you move to a place in the middle of nowhere like this?”

 

Ashley blinked in surprise. He was...asking about her life? Well that was unexpected. Unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome. This was a chance to get him to care about her. "The house was cheap, and I got a job in town," she replied simply, hoping he’d have follow-up questions.

 

“Job, huh? What do you do?” he asked, genuinely curious.

 

Yes! Now she just had to keep him interested. "I'm an actress," she answered with a smile, though it quickly faded. "Or at least, that's the dream. I got a job at the local theater, but...I guess that's not gonna happen now."

 

"At least you can brush up on your acting skills with me, heh," Sans replied. Oddly enough, he almost felt kind of bad to have taken away Ashley's dreams, but he quickly squashed the feeling. Why should he care? She was just some human. If she hadn’t bothered him in the first place, then she’d be out living her life, not trapped here with him.

 

Ashley looked down, unwilling to meet his gaze. "I suppose that's...one way of looking at it, yeah."

 

Sans paused, looking her over. "How about you show me some of those acting skills, kid?" he asked.

 

Ashley looked up in surprise. He wanted to see her act? "U-um, alright." She instinctively began mentally flying through all of her material, waiting for the command to whip something out. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

 

He shrugged at her. "Dunno. Something funny? I don't know much about acting, kid."

 

‘Funny’? She could do ‘funny’. Ashley began to rummage through her mental archive of comedic monologues when one in particular jumped out. It was almost frightening how fitting it was. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Concentrate. Her eyes opened, and though they were still the same as before, there was a completely different look inside of them. Her whole posture and demeanor shifted, suddenly becoming much more elegant, confident, and poised.

 

“You may say what you like, Don Cosme, I can't agree that Teresina is quite as complex as you think she is. I know the World; I'm not an ingenuous child; I say I'm not because, good Lord! no widow has any business to be one. Although, I must admit that as far as years go, and in looks and manner, I am still something of a child. But that's because of certain characteristics.” She smirked, giving her hair a casual flip and pushing her chest out some.  “Don't you think so?” She paused, eyes narrowed. “Why don't you speak?” 

 

Ashley turned to some unseen figure and let out a great groan of frustration. “Good Lord! The man's asleep  _ again! _ Up at ten this morning, it's now eleven. And he sleeps!” Letting out an irritated huff, she threw her hands into the air. “No, sir! I  _ must _ have somebody to talk to. Here I am left alone with Don Cosme, and he  _ sleeps _ , leaving me in full monologue. I won't stand it! I came to this house on the express condition that I should not be bored, and the condition is not being fulfilled.” She looked around, her shoulders heavy with exasperation. “The place is beautiful-- _ Art, _ Oh! plenty of Art--pictures, tapestry, statues, bronzes, porcelains; and  _ Nature, _ Oh! a great deal of Nature, woods and flowers and lakes and waterfalls and sunsets! But all that's not enough. There is no Life! No warmth! As they say nowadays, the warmth of humanity. And he goes on sleeping! This life is giving that man softening of the brain. Don Cosme! Oh, Don Cosme!” She lashed out at the invisible man with an imaginary hand fan. “Open your eyes!”

 

Ashley froze and let out a shaky breath. In an instant, all of the confidence she had a moment prior vanished, and her whole form seemed to shrink back down into her tiny, uncertain self. She bit her lip nervously, praying she hadn’t done anything wrong.

 

Sans stared at her, shocked at what had just happened. Ashley had went from her nervous self to someone Sans almost didn't recognize. How had she done that? And here he was, thinking he was good at fooling people and putting on a false front. Ashley’s simple performance put him to shame. He let out a quiet, amused laugh. "Heh, I gotta say that was impressive. I will say though, perhaps that lady shouldn’t have been so hard on Don Cosme, but good job, kid," he said with a soft smile on his face.

 

Ashley sucked in a breath, her insides glowing. A genuine smile floated to her face, and her green eyes lit up a bit. "Thank...thank you...thank you very much."

 

"So how long have you been doing that for?" he asked. Much to his surprise, Sans was enjoying having a conversation with her. He couldn't understand how or why, but he didn't care enough to question it any further.

 

"This is my ninth year," she replied proudly. "I did theater all throughout high school and college."

 

"You're really dedicated to this whole acting thing, huh?"

 

"It's what I love, what I wanna do with my life," she answered honestly. “Nothing else makes me feel so alive, so complete.” She couldn't believe Sans was still talking to her, but she wasn't about to question her fortune.

 

Sans let out a yawn, his eyelids starting to grow heavy. "That's, uh, pretty cool."

 

Ashley winced, her smile falling. Yep, too good to be true. It had been nice while it lasted. She shifted her weight awkwardly, not sure what to do.

 

Sans almost went to sleep before remembering that Ashley was still on him. "I'm about to take a nap. You want help getting down?" he asked with his eyes half open.

 

Ashley nodded. "Yes please."

 

Sans lifted her up with magic once more. However, being sleepy made it hard to have good control and precision. As a result, he accidentally put her down a little roughly. Oops. He mumbled a 'sorry' before turning on his side and going to sleep.

 

Ashley stumbled but fortunately managed to stay on her feet. She looked back at Sans. He was out already. Well, at least she had made some progress with him. She’d managed to make their relationship somewhat more personal, so it was a step in the right direction. 

 

With a sigh, Ashley started back towards her house but then stopped abruptly. She was...outside. And Sans was asleep. Eyes wide, her thoughts began to fly. Nothing was forcing her to go back inside. She could get away. This was her chance, and she might not be lucky enough to get another one. 

 

Ashley almost began heading to her car but stopped short, logic finally catching up. Sans would probably hear her car starting up, and the last thing she needed was a broken vehicle as well. She looked towards the forest. That seemed to be her safest bet for right now. At the very least, she could hide amongst the trees and try to wait things out if he came looking for her. 

 

It was time to make a bold decision. 

 

Cautiously, her eyes on her sleeping captor every step of the way, Ashley crept off into the forest. Once she was deep enough in, she took off as fast as she could, not daring to look back.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After two or three hours, Sans woke up from his nap. Slowly and groggily, he sat up, stretching and letting out a loud groan. That had been rather nice. Maybe it was because of that nice little chat he’d had before snoozing. Sans smiled to himself. He really had liked talking to her. It had been so long since he’d had a simple conversation, he’d forgotten how pleasant it could be. 

 

Sans looked back over to the house. In fact, he really wouldn’t mind talking a bit more. "Hey, kid. Where you at?" he called out, crawling over. Hopefully she’d still be in a nice mood like she had been earlier. 

 

Sans patiently waited for a response, but to his confusion, one never came. Did she not hear him? 

 

He called out for Ashley once more, this time a bit louder. 

 

Still no response. 

 

A lump of worry forming in his chest, Sans began to look through the windows of the manor, making sure he didn’t skip a single one, but there was no sign of Ashley. 

 

He went back through double-checking, his hands shaking, sweat starting to bead on his skull. Still no sign. 

 

Panic began to take over. No no no no. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. It just couldn’t! Where could she have possibly gone? 

 

Sans ran an unsteady hand over his skull, desperately trying to remember what had happened earlier. She had hurt her head and bandaged it...she had done a bit of acting for him...he talked with her and set her down to go ins- wait. He never watched her go inside. Sans’ eyes widened. She DIDN'T go inside. 

 

In an instant, all of the worry and fear inside of him dissolved into pure rage. Ashley ESCAPED. After what he tried to do for her. He couldn't believe it. He had figured that trusting her to go back indoors wasn’t that big of a deal; clearly he had been mistaken. He grit his teeth. God fucking dammit. This is what he got for trusting a human. This is what he got for trying to be  _ nice _ . He should’ve known better, he really should have. Humans could never be trusted, they’d always stab you in the back at the first opportunity. 

 

Breathing raggedly, his white pupils faded away, his blue one appearing a moment later. His left eye ignited itself in flames of fury, and in his fit of pure rage, he uprooted all the trees surrounding him with his magic, launching them skywards. "You're going to regret your decision, kid!" he growled with clenched fists, the trees crashing back to the earth all around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The monologue used in this chapter was from the play "Always Ridiculous" by Jose Echegaray.


	5. Awakening

Ashley had managed to put a good bit of distance between herself and the manor. Or at least, she hoped so. She had no idea where she was or where she was going. All she knew was that she couldn't stop, no matter how much her body was begging her to. 

 

Suddenly, off in the distance behind her, Ashley heard several loud  _ BOOMS _ . She slid to a halt out of pure shock. Her heart dropped. "Oh applesauce," she whispered before resuming her getaway, her speed redoubled. She found herself stumbling, the ground uneven. Branches tore at her as she blazed past, not even bothering to try and dodge them. Her skin was searing from multiple scratches and her legs were howling from all of the running, but she forced herself to keep going, fear driving her. She had to get away, this was her only chance. He couldn’t get her, not again.  If he caught her again, she might not live long enough to have another chance at escaping.

 

Abruptly, Ashley found herself face to face with a wide river, the water charging past at an alarming rate, forcing her to stop, skidding a bit as she did so. She gasped for breath, panicking. Not good! Not good! She let out a whine of fear, running her hands through her hair. She could try and look for a way around, but she'd only lose distance between herself and Sans that way. Every second she spent not moving was a second closer to what very well may be her death. 

 

Ashley looked around desperately and spotted a couple of large rocks in the river. They were rather smooth; if she could make it to them, she could probably get across. Acting fast, she took a few steps back before breaking into a run. At the last second, she launched herself into the air, her heart sent flying into her throat. 

 

For a moment, time seemed to slow down. Ashley watched as the river rushed by beneath her, oblivious to the immense amount of danger she was in. The nearest rock grew closer and closer, until finally she was upon it. A triumphant smile appeared on her face, only to instantly twist into a look of pure horror. The rock was incredibly slick, and the momentum from her jump sent her sliding across its surface. Before she knew it, she was  plunged into the raging river, her world suddenly a swirling, chaotic nightmare. Breaking the surface, she gasped for air and somehow managed to let out a scream before being pulled under once more. 

 

As Sans was slowly stomping his way through the forest, he heard a shrill scream coming from the direction of the river. A sinister smile spread across his face. Gotcha. 

 

Ashley struggled to figure out which way was up, helpless to the will of the river. Her chest was burning, her lungs threatening to explode. At last, she felt the beautiful embrace of oxygen on her face and she gulped in as much as possible. It didn’t last long though, for without warning, her body was slammed against a large rock. Her vision immediately went dark and she floated along without resistance.

 

Sans arrived at the river and immediately began to scan the area. It didn’t take him long to spot the rather limp looking form of Ashley drifting along. How pathetic. She couldn’t even properly escape from him. Using his magic, he jerked Ashley out of the river and brought her flying over to him, landing straight in his open hand. Instantly, he wrapped his fingers around her in a fist, leaving only her head exposed. 

 

Sans glared at her, waiting for some kind of reaction. However, Ashley’s head merely lolled, her eyes closed. He stilled, eyes widening. Was she...dead?

 

Ashley’s senses came back online, and she instantly began  hacking up the river water, taking in large gulps of air when she could. She felt her entire body being compressed, and upon looking up she saw that despite her best efforts, she had been caught once more. 

 

Sans’ menacing grin reappeared, though internally, a tsunami-like wave of relief washed over him. God, he had actually been kind of scared for a minute there. She was alive though, meaning now she’d suffer the consequences of her actions. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

 

Ashley coughed some more, whimpering in fear. Why couldn’t this just be some awful nightmare? Why couldn’t she just wake up? She was all too aware of how vulnerable she currently was, how little effort it would take for Sans to crush her to bits. He probably wanted to. This had been a really stupid idea. She should have known this would happen. God, why was she such an idiot? She squeezed her eyes shut, heart hammering like mad, terror racing through her veins.

 

“You know, I was trying really hard to be nice to you. Really, I was. I let you live in your own home, eat as much as you needed, cleaned up so you wouldn’t hurt yourself. Hell, I even tried to be gentler with you just like you asked, and how do you repay me? How do you show your gratitude for my kindness?” His eyes narrowed, and he squeezed her a bit tighter. “You decide to take advantage of my generosity, and look where that got you. Soaking wet and gasping for breath.” He brought her up closer to his face, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. “Now, I’m gonna ask you a question, and you better answer it if you have a brain in that damaged little head of yours. What exactly did you think was gonna happen when you up and left, huh?”

 

Fearfully, her watery eyes rose to meet his very angry pair. It took her a moment before she could find her voice. "I-I don't know," she whimpered out, on the verge of tears. "I d-didn't think, honestly."

 

Sans let out a harsh laugh. “‘You didn’t think.’ Probably couldn’t think from busting that itty bitty head of yours on your bathroom floor,” he sneered, poking her head with his finger. “You humans really are pathetic.”

 

Ashley let out a sharp cry of pain, a sob escaping her. She had felt Sans' bone right on her injury; her bandage must've come off in the river. On top of that, the spot on her head felt rather warm, so she had a feeling the wound had reopened. She let out another sob, wishing all of this would just be over.

 

Sans snorted. “You’re crying. Really? God, you humans are so fucking pitiful. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to trust one.” He looked away from Ashley and shook his head, his gaze a bit distant. “You know, it’s kind of funny. I actually thought I’d wake up from my nap and have another little chat with ya like we did earlier. A stupid idea, I know, but it sounded nice." He looked back at her.  His face was still drenched with anger, but there was also a pained look in his eyes. “I guess this is what I get for being so naive. Because you had other plans. You didn’t want to stick around with me. No, you wanted to run away. I trusted you to do one little thing: go back inside the damn house by yourself!” His expression hardened. “And now that you pulled this little stunt, I’m gonna make you regret what you did.”

 

Ashley’s blood ran cold, and she felt her heart sink lower than she even thought was possible. She'd blown it. She'd really, truly blown it. All of that progress she had made was gone, and it didn't look like she'd ever get it back. She just had to be reckless and do something stupid, as usual. Now, she doubted Sans would even want to keep her alive; he was probably about to kill her right then and there. She hung her head low and awaited her fate, knowing good and well her chances of ever regaining freedom were gone for good.

 

Sans smirked at Ashley’s defeated expression. This is what she deserved. Humans never deserved any better. He walked back to the clearing where he first met Ashley. Upon arrival, he went over to the hole he had previously dug. Sans turned and opened his hand so Ashley was resting on his palm. Grabbing her by the back of her shirt, he laid down on his stomach before dropping into the pit. He rested his chin in his hands and peered down at her. “How does it feel down there, pipsqueak?”

 

Ashley shrieked in pain as her already injured head struck the ground once more. She let out a gross sob. Her clothes were soaked with frigid water, every inch of her body ached, and she was shivering uncontrollably. All she could do was lie there in her pitiful state.

 

His eyes narrowed. Using his magic, Sans jerked Ashley out of the hole and restricted her movement. “I’m talking to ya! Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking?” he barked.

 

Ashley’s vision swam. She was in so much pain, she couldn’t think straight. Everything hurt, why did everything hurt so badly? Why couldn’t it just be over? She closed her eyes and let out a whine of pain, tears streaming down her cheeks.

 

Sans growled and rather violently shook her about. “Hey! Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

 

Ashley looked up at him feebly. Her vision was rather blurry, and she could feel what she was pretty sure to be blood trickling down the side of her face. "...'m sssorry," she managed, her voice weak.

 

“What was that? Couldn’t hear you there, pipsqueak,” he asked mockingly, squeezing her soul a bit.

 

Ashley screamed at the feeling of her soul being crushed. It sent a horrible wave of pain throughout every inch of her being. It was overwhelming, the entire world faded away, all she knew was pain. 

 

“I asked you to repeat yourself, pipsqueak, so do it!” Sans snarled, tightening his magical grip on her soul.

 

"I'M SORRY!!!" she screamed at him with every ounce of energy she had left. She broke down into a fit of sobbing, wailing in absolute despair.

 

Sans froze, shocked. All he could do was stare at her as she floated before him, wailing like a tormented banshee. It was as though her words had slapped him in the face, waking him up from the enraged fog he had been stuck in. He tried to think of some sort of response, some other sadistic act to do, but he drew a blank. Nothing else existed except the sobbing, broken girl in front of him. 

 

After an eternal moment, Sans gently lowered her back in the hole, softly placing her on the ground. “I’m, uh, gonna take a nap,” he told her quietly. “Maybe if you’re still here by the time I wake up…we can go back to the house.” 

 

He waited for a response, but Ashley only continued to cry.

 

Casting one final uncertain look down at her, Sans moved away from the hole and laid down on his side.  _ ‘I’M SORRY!!!’ _ replayed over and over again, a never-ending loop of pure agony. The sound of pure desperation in her apology and the image of blood trickling down her face were burned into his mind. It was all he could see, all he could think. He closed his eyes, but the memory was still there.

 

He had done that to her.

 

What was with him? He was absolutely enraged just a moment ago. He was so willing to treat her as awfully as he could. After all, she had done him wrong…So why did he stop? Why didn’t he want to hurt her anymore? Why did seeing her in such a shattered state send him into such a horrified shock? He couldn’t understand. The last thing Sans saw was Ashley’s bloody, tear-stained face haunting his thoughts before he drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

  
Ashley curled up, her body shaking all over, tears still slowly exploring her cheeks. She sniffed, a shudder running through her. "...the sun'll come..out....to..morrow.....bet your..bottom dollar..that......tomorrow..there'll be....sun...," she sang quietly to herself, eyes squeezed shut. Her tiny, broken voice kept singing until she couldn't sing anymore, at which point, she fell asleep from exhaustion.


	6. Aftermath

 

 

As the sun began its descent beneath the horizon, Sans woke up. He had been hoping sleep would clear his conscience some.

 

It hadn’t.

 

As soon as his eyes opened, Sans remembered everything from earlier. Ashley’s cries of pain filled his mind once more, refusing to go away. He let out a sigh, wishing there was some way to permanently erase the awful sounds from his memory.

 

With a groan and a stretch, Sans sat up and looked over at the nearby hole. After a moment of hesitation, he crawled over, daring a peek down inside.

 

Ashley was still there, though she was unconscious, her body curled into a tiny ball.

 

Sans let out a sigh of relief. She hadn’t gone anywhere. This was quickly followed by a twist in his metaphorical gut as his conscience reminded him that it wasn’t like she was capable of going anywhere to begin with.

 

Ever so slowly, Sans raised her up out of the hole, gently placing her into the palm of his hand. His eyes scanned her tiny, beaten form, taking in all the dirt that now covered her previously clean clothes, the various scratches that covered her arms, the dried blood on her face. His brow furrowed, his gaze filled with concern. Fuck. He really did a number on her.

 

This...this wasn’t what he wanted at all.

 

Thinking back earlier before Ashley had left, Sans let out a sigh of disappointment. Their talk had been so nice. Not only did he enjoy it, but she genuinely seemed like she was having a good time too.

 

And yet she still ran away. _Why_ did she run away? He didn’t feel rage at the thought like he had before, he just felt…sad. He had thought he was making things better by doing what she had asked for, and that in doing so, she was actually starting to like him. Apparently, he had been mistaken.

 

Carefully, he brushed some of Ashley’s still-damp hair out of her face, eyeing her with worry. Now, thanks to his earlier actions, she was afraid just like anybody else would be. Bringing her closer to his chest, Sans rose to his feet and began to walk back to the manor.

 

...Ashley's eyes fluttered, sensing her body had shifted. It felt like the ground was rocking beneath her. Her head was throbbing with a rather intense pain and felt like it weighed a million pounds. She tried to turn her head to observe her surroundings but found herself unable to, the pain simply too strong. She blinked multiple times, her vision swimming, threatening to pull her back into the darkness once more. After a moment or so, she managed to process the giant wall of white fabric in front of her. "...Ss...Sans?"

 

Sans glanced down at Ashley as he continued to walk. His fingers curled inward a bit. “Hey there, kid.”

 

Ashley’s breathing became a bit shallower, her body involuntarily shaking. "I'm sorr-sorry..sorry. I’m so sorry. I-I’m sorryyy sorry. I...I’m-"

 

Sans stopped in his tracks, looking down at her. “Kid,” he interjected, unable to listen to her stream of apologies, “You, uh, you don’t have to apologize. It’s alright.”

 

Ashley winced, tears stinging her eyes. “I-I won’t do it again...I pro...promise,” she squeaked. “I won’t...I wo-won’t, I p-promise.”

 

“Hey, hey.” Sans brought her up closer to his face. “Shh, it’s okay.”

 

Ashley felt herself being raised and let out a whine of distress, curling up tighter. “P-please don..don’t h-hurt me...I’m so sorry please...please no more please...don’t hurt...don’t hurt me…”

 

Sans’ eyes widened. Fucking hell, she was downright scared to death of him. “Hey, shh, I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said in the softest voice he could manage. “It’s okay, everything's okay. Just...relax for now, alright?”

 

Ashley bit her lip with a frown, nodding slightly. She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not, but she was too drained to protest.

 

Through the thick fog that clouded her mind, a memory resurfaced, pushing its way to the forefront. Given everything that had happened, it seemed like a ridiculous thought, but her conscience compelled her to vocalize it. Without turning her head, Ashley looked up at him as best she could, her eyelids heavy. "Y-you saved me from the...the river…” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “T-thank you...I...I c-can’t sss...swim..."

 

Sans froze, recalling the sight of her limp form floating along. He winced. “Well, _tibia_ -onest, I didn’t really come out to save ya…but, uh, maybe you should brush up on your swimming, heh,” he joked awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

 

Ashley’s eyelids drooped; she felt like Atlas trying to hold them up. She was still scared and felt far from safe, but her body simply wouldn’t allow her to remain conscious. Satisfied though that she had at least said her piece, she closed her eyes once more and immediately drifted off.

 

Sans watched her fall asleep in his hand, his mind reeling from their short conversation. Damn, he sure as hell didn’t think kidnapping her would’ve turned out like this. Shaking his head, he resumed his walk back to the manor.

 

Upon arrival, Sans pulled out several of the logs until he located what appeared to be her bedroom. As carefully as he could, he eased her through the destroyed window and set her down on top of the bed. There. That’s where she should be sleeping, not some filthy hole in the ground.

 

Sans made a move to walk away but stopped, his gaze lingering on her face. After a quiet moment of debating, he moved around the house, pulling the log out of the bathroom window and peering in. It took him a second, but he managed to spot a light purple towel hanging next to the mirror. Using his magic, he brought the towel over to the sink, turning the switch and letting the water run over it. Whether it was warm or cold, he didn’t know, but he didn’t really think it mattered. Bringing the now-wet towel out and putting the log back in, Sans went back to the bedroom window, peeking in at the still sleeping form of Ashley. He floated the towel inside and up to her head. As lightly as he possibly could, he did his best to pat away the dried blood and dirt from her face.

 

Once his job was done, Sans set the dirty towel on the nearby nightstand before looking back at Ashley. He sighed. She still looked pretty awful, but at least her face was clean.

 

Not really knowing what else to do, Sans made himself comfortable and looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, waiting for her to wake up.

 

* * *

 

 

...Ashley wasn't sure how long she slept for. Regardless, she felt far from refreshed when she awoke. She likely would’ve fallen asleep once more had she not felt the soft caress of fabric on her face. Peeling her eyes open, she discovered with a great deal of surprise that somehow she was back in her room. Not only that, she was also resting on her bed.

 

But...she didn't remember getting here. How did she get here?

 

Confused, Ashley sat up, only to let out a small whine of pain; her head still ached quite a bit, so she had to move slowly. "What happened?" she murmured, eyes scanning the room. It was dark, so it must've been nighttime. How long had she been asleep for?

 

Wait.

 

Sans.

 

Ashley instinctively turned towards the window, a rush of fear sent rocketing through her. However, the log was gone, allowing her a glimpse at the night-covered world that lay outside. Her confusion grew, and she narrowed her eyes. What was going on?

 

Warily, Ashley got off the bed, though this wasn't the brightest of ideas; her legs, still unbearably sore from the strain of earlier, nearly gave way as soon as she tried to stand. She let out a cry of pain, gripping the bed frame to keep herself from falling. Wincing and biting her lip,  she ever so slowly began to inch over to the window, using the wall and other various pieces of furniture to support her.

 

Sans stared up at the pale moon shining far above him, one of the few things out of his reach. Tonight the sky was rather cloudy, so conditions weren’t exactly optimal for stargazing. It was a shame, he really did like to look at the stars. He let out a sigh as a cloud lazily floated in front of the moon, temporarily blocking out its light, and looked back at the open bedroom window. Was she still asleep?

 

Quietly, Sans moved over to the window and peered inside. His eye dimly illuminated the dark room, casting a rather eerie glow. Upon inspection, he saw she wasn’t on the bed anymore. “Hey, kid? You there?”

 

Sans caught her off-guard; she hadn't anticipated him to just appear like that. With a yelp of surprise, Ashley jumped back. This of course resulted in her legs collapsing immediately once her wall support had been removed, and she took a tumble to the floor, eliciting a cry of pain. "Oww..." she moaned, gingerly rubbing her legs. Moving into a sitting position, she nervously looked up at the giant glowing orb, her body beginning to shake once more.

 

Sans’ eye quickly located and focused on her. It would seem she had once again had a run-in with gravity. “You, heh, really gotta stop falling for me, kid,” he said with a soft chuckle. As gently as he could manage, he lifted Ashley out of the room and into his hands. “You feeling any better?”

 

Ashley felt her insides churn as she took note of her new surroundings. Yet again, she was in his massive hands, completely helpless to whatever he wanted. Her mind began to race, wanting nothing more than to be set down. She nodded up at him in response, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging them close, her heart beating a few speeds faster.

 

Sans cocked his head in confusion. “Hey, are you, uh, cold or something?” he asked as he looked over her, wondering why she was sitting like that.

 

Now that he mentioned it, Ashley realized she was in fact quite cold. She had never properly dried off after the river incident, and her clothes were still damp. It was only now that she had grown somewhat used to the numb pain that was coursing throughout her entire body that she was able to pick up on the lack of heat. Biting her lip, she timidly nodded her head again, too afraid to trust herself with any more words at the moment.

 

Sans used his magic to carefully place her back inside. “You should probably go get changed. It might help,” he advised. Of course, this should be common sense, but he still felt inclined to say it. “I would’ve done it myself earlier, but, uh, you probably know why.”

 

A shudder ran through her, quickly washing away the relief of being out of his hands. Thank God he hadn’t tried to…“help” her with her clothing.

 

Grabbing onto the window sill, Ashley looked up at him, hesitant. "Thank you," she said before slowly making her way over to her dresser, using various pieces of furniture along the way for support. She pulled out a pair of black and white spotted pajamas and, after a hasty glance behind her at the window, moved into the bathroom to change. Several minutes of careful maneuvering later, she reentered the room, remarkably warmer. Her hair was still a damp, knotted mess, but she'd worry about that later. Carefully, she picked her way back over to the window, gripping the window sill once she had made it.

 

Upon noticing her return, Sans leveled his face with the window again, looking her over. “You look a lot better than before,” he commented. It made him feel a bit better to see her in fresh, clean clothes. It was almost as if nothing had even happened.

 

Ashley’s grip tightened. She swallowed and nodded, not meeting his gaze.

 

Sans’ brow furrowed. “Something wrong, kid? Didn’t think I was being that scary just now,” he asked, noticing how silent she had been.

 

Ashley flinched. "You were earlier though," she murmured quietly.

 

“What was that, kid? Did you say something?” he asked, leaning in a bit closer.

 

Ashley’s eyes snapped shut. "You were scary earlier!" she shouted despite herself, her shoulders tensing.

 

Sans recoiled in surprise at the sudden outburst before letting out a groan. God, why did she have to bring it back up? Couldn’t they just...move on? Pretend it never happened?

 

Sans looked down at her, watching her tiny form tremble. Guess not.“Yeah. I was pretty scary earlier, wasn’t I?” he admitted with a sigh. “Look, this probably doesn’t mean much to you, but I’m sorry, alright? I was just…upset when you left. I really thought we were getting somewhere before that and to see you leave just kinda...hurt, ya know? Probably doesn’t excuse the way I treated you, but, uh I won’t do it again.” Sans awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. He never really was any good with apologies, though hopefully that would suffice.

 

No way.

 

Ashley looked up at him in utter disbelief, the shock on her face visible to even the most distant astronaut out in space. "You're...you're sorry? Really?" she asked, half expecting him to announce that this was all just a cruel joke.

 

"Uh...yeah. I'm sorry," Sans replied, looking down at her awkwardly. Not being one for apologies, apologizing twice to the same person felt a bit degrading.

 

Like a phoenix, hope was suddenly poking its head up from the ashes of the nightmare from earlier. She honestly couldn't believe it. There was just no possible way this was happening. She had been sure that everything was over for her. Sure, it didn’t sound like the most sincere apology in the world; it sounded more like he was just trying to make himself feel better than anything else, but maybe, just maybe she still had a chance. Ashley gave him a small smile. "I really appreciate that, thank you."

 

"Uh, yeah, no problem,” Sans replied with a nod. He glanced around uncomfortably, not really knowing what else to say. “Uhh, you should probably get back to bed. Or…something. It's late anyways. Um, I'll be out in the front if you need me and, uh...don't try and leave again." With that, Sans got up and walked away, suddenly feeling a rather desperate urge to get as far away from her as possible.

 

Ashley watched him go, her gaze soft. She knew it. He wasn't all bad. It was well hidden, but he had a kind side. A sudden wave of pain shot through her head, and she hissed, clutching at it. That said, there was still a lot of bad there as well. All she could do was pray that come morning, the kindness he had just displayed would still be there; she didn’t think her body could take much more damage.

  
With one final glance out at the spot where Sans had disappeared, Ashley shuffled along, using the wall for assistance, before climbing into her bed and falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.


End file.
